About

Scotland

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Uphall is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a swiftly growing village in a conurbation with Broxburn to the east, Dechmont to the west and the major town of Livingston to the south west. Uphall is 30 miles from Glasgow and 14 miles from Edinburgh in the Scottish Lowlands. Uphall has a public golf course and a selection of public houses including The Oatridge Hotel, The Dovehill Arms, Houston House Hotel.

Until the second half of the 19th century Uphall and its neighbour, Broxburn, were small rural communities. The discovery and exploitation of local oil shale triggered massive growth as many people moved to the area to gain employment in the oil shale mines and associated oil works. Surrounding villages expanded rapidly as rows of miners' cottages were erected to accommodate the influx of people, most of whom came - in search of money - from Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland.

This boom continued until the oil industry went into terminal decline in the 1920s and only post war industrial development at Greendykes and East Mains Industrial Estates, coupled with new employment throughout the West Lothian district and increased commuting to Edinburgh, helped to offset the depression that followed.